Stay-on horseshoe



Patented Apr. 17, 19134 o. UNro STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,955,0300 v's'mY-on YrioRsEsHoE John B. Smith, La Grande, Oreg. Application Decenxery s, 1931, seria No. 578,822 1 oaim; (mats-;106)

This invention relates to games, and more particularly to the game of horseshoe and an improved horseshoe for the playing of the game.

A An object of this invention is-fto provide an improved horseshoe Which is so constructed that it will stay on the pin or stake in the event of a ringer being made.

Another object of this invention is to provide lan improved shoe having means formed there- `with for facilitating the engagement of the shoe with the stake so as to more readily encircle the stake.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a shoe of this kind, means for facilitating the --lsliding movement of the shoe on the ground in the event the shoe is tossed with the open ends toward the stake or pin.

A still further object of this invention is to provide in a shoe of this kind, means for retarding the sliding movement of the shoe along the ground in the event the open ends of the shoe are turned away from the stake or pin.

The above and various other objects and advantages of this invention will in part be de- 2`r1*scribed in and in part be understood from the following detailed description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a detail bottom plan view of a device -iconstructed according to the preferred embodlment of this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged Sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged Sectional View taken 353 on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 designates generally a horseshoe construction in- 0-cl`1ding a pair of prongs 11 and 12, which are connected together at one end thereof by means of a curved connecting body 14. This constructi'cf of the prongs 11 and 12 and the connecting 45. body 14 is conventional with horseshoe construc- VAtions and is conventionally used in the game or horseshoe pitching.

The prongs 11 and 12 are provided with calks 13 which, on the inner edge thereof, have a face 5,0,3 disposed on a relatively sharp angle with respect to the adjacent face of the prongs 11 and 12. The outer edge or face of the calks 13 are beveled or taper gradually outwardly, as at 15, this tapering face portion being provided so as to facilitate 5.53 the sliding movement of the horseshoe 10 along the ground where the open or free ends of the v prongs 11 and 12 face the stake or pin 16.

The horseshoe 10 is also provided with a cen-` tral calk 17, the outer face 18 of Which is disposed on a substantially sharp angle with respect 'q to the adjacent face -of the connecting member i 14, -while the inner face of the calk 17 tapers as at 19, this taper being similar and in the same direction as the taper 15 of the calks 13. In this manner, the calk 17 coacts with the calks 13 in i:

facilitating the sliding movement of the horseshoe 10 along the ground where the open ends of the horseshoe face the stake 16, but retard the movement of the horseshoe in the event the closed ends of the prongs face the horseshoe. 702;

At substantially the center of the horseshoe 10 and the connecting member 14, there is provided a recess 20, the ends of which are curved, as at 21, the curvature being an inward curvature, so as 'to provide inwardly extending arms or fingers 22, the purpose for which will be hereinafter described. The depth of this recess 20 is substantially greater than the radius of the stake or pin 16, and when the horseshoe 10 is pitched or thrown so that the stake 16 will be received in this recess 20, the arms 22 will be disposed at a point outwardly from the center or axis of the stake 16 so that when the ho-rseshoe spins around on the stake 16, these arms 22 will tend to maintain the horseshoe 10 upon the stake.

The extremities or free ends of the prongs 11 and 12 are provided with inwardly extending portions 23, so that a relatively sharp point 24 is provided on the outer end of the prongs 11 and 12 and adjacent the outer edge thereof. These 'l beveled or inwardly converging end portions 23 provide means for facilitating the encircling of the stake 16 with the horseshoe 10 inasmuch as during the sliding movement toward the stake 16, in the event the free ends of either of the prongs 11 and 12 strike the periphery of the stake 16, the beveled or converging ends 23 of the horseshoe 10 will cause the horseshoe to encircle or encompass the stake and thereby gain a ringer for the player pitching the shoe.

The prongs 11 and 12 are also provided adjacent the free ends thereof with inwardly extending hook members 25 which have a curved inner face portion 26 which is similar to the curved portions 21 and the arms or fingers 22. These extensions 25 provide means by which the shoe 10 is prevented from becoming disengaged with the pin 16 in the event the pin 16 is engaged by the shoe 10 at a point intermediate the ends of the prongs 11 and 12 and the recess 20,

In the use of this improved horseshoe, in the event the shoe 10 strikes the ground with the open ends thereof facing the pin 16, the shoe 10 will readily slide over the surface of the ground, this movement being facilitated by the beveled surfaces 15 of they prongs 11 and 12 and the beveled surface 19 of the calk 17.

In the event the horseshoe is pitched so that it strikes the pin. 16 in its flight and is thereby caused to rotate about the pin 16', the extensions 25 will prevent the shoe 10 from slipping off of the stake 16 and thereby retain a ringer for the player, whereas with the shoe at present in use,, the shoe would not stay on the pin, due to the absence of any projections or extensions 25. Iin the event the shoe 10 hits the stake 16, so that the stake 16 will engage in the recess 20, the shoe may rotate about the pin 16' being held thereon by means of the extensions or fingers 22, which prevent the pin 16 from coming out of the recess 20. i

It will be noted, from the foregoing, that animproved shoe construction has been provided which bearsthe resemblance of a conventional horseshoe, but which is provided with meansv for faci-litating the retention of the shoe on the stake,

thereby making it possible for a player to score additional points which could not otherwise be scored with shoes not provided with the improved construction herein disclosed.

It is, of course, understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departingV from. the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claim.

What is claimed is:

A pitching shoe comprising a U-shaped member, a calk on the free end of each parallel leg of the member, a calk at the bight of the shoe, said shoe having a recess on the inner edge of the bight of a length in excess of the diameter of the target stake and of a depth in excess of the radius of the said stake, and opposed fingers extending inwardly of and overhanging said recess and adapted to engage the periphery of a stake disposed in saidrecess at a point beyond the axial center of the stake in a manner to hold the stake in said recess.

JOHN B` SMITH. 

